Pierre Poilievre speaks during a Friday, March 28 stop in Nanaimo. (Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Alex Rawnsley

campaign stop

Conservative leader pitches life sentences for ‘very worst offenders’ at Nanaimo campaign visit

Mar 28, 2025 | 10:08 AM

NANAIMO — Locking away fentanyl and human traffickers, as well as firearms dealers formed the backbone of a campaign stop in the Harbour City.

Speaking at Western Forest Products at Duke Point on Friday, March 28, Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre outlined his plans to introduce life sentences for “those who commit the very worst crimes.”

Included were people convicted of fentanyl trafficking, five or more counts of human trafficking or the importing or exporting of ten or more illegal firearms.

“Forty milligrams of fentanyl can kill 20 people,” Poilievre said during his remarks. “A mass trafficker of these drugs is a mass murderer, he’s like firing a gun into a crowded room, he doesn’t know maybe who he’s going to hit, but he’s definitely killing somebody.”

Under his proposed legislation, someone convicted of five counts or more of human trafficking, 10 or more counts of illegal firearm importing or exporting, or caught trafficking 40 or more milligrams of fentanyl would face an automatic life sentence.

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Poilievre cited legislation changes over recent years as a big factor behind what he said was a large increase in violent crimes, as well as a toxic drug crisis which has killed thousands in B.C. alone.

“Life sentences will be in place to protect Canadians and to end the chaos in our streets. These policies are necessary to protect the Charter rights of Canadians. We will end automatic bail for anyone charged with human trafficking, and we will strengthen human trafficking laws so that the prosecutors don’t have to prove anymore the traffickers use fear and intimidation.”

The proposal is an evolution of his stance on criminal justice reform.

Pierre Poilievre, and his wife Anaida (right), speak with Nanaimo-Ladysmith candidate Tamara Kronis (left) following a press conference in Nanaimo. (Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW)

During a January 2025 stop in the region, Poilievre said a Conservative government would repeal multiple bills which enabled so-called “catch and release”.

He would replace them with legislation which would make repeat violent offenders “ineligible for bail, parole, probation or house arrest, they will go the slammer and the worst offenders will never get out for the rest of their lives.”

Poilievre is the first federal party leader to visit the Nanaimo-Ladysmith riding during the election campaign.

Green party co-leaders Elizabeth May and Jonathan Pedneault will campaign with party candidate Paul Manly on Friday night, and speak with media in downtown Nanaimo on Saturday morning.

Friday marked Poilievre’s fifth visit to the riding since becoming the Conservative leader in 2022.

The Nanaimo-Ladysmith riding was won in 2021 by the NDP’s Lisa Marie Barron by only 1,199 votes over the Conservative’s Tamara Kronis.

Poilievre believes the riding is one the Conservatives can turn in 2025.

“I think the NDP has failed these communities. They sold out the residents and signed on to a coalition with the Liberals. They voted for carbon taxes, soft on crime, releasing criminals into the streets, and easy drug policies that are killing people on the streets of Nanaimo.”

Both Kronis and Barron are running again in 2025 for their respective parties.

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